Hair transplantation
Am I a candidate?
You might be, provided you are:
-Atleast 21 years of age (I would still say wait till you’re 25)
-Diagnosed to have androgenic alopecia, and no other cause of hairloss
Best results are in people with:
-Frontal balding or a receding hairline
-A large forehead
-Thick hair over the donor area (back of the head)
-Lighter coloured hair
-Non-smokers
How?
Anesthesia- Local anaesthesia is given on the scalp, making the procedure completely painless.
Donor area- The hair in the donor area is trimmed to about a 2mm length. Individual hair follicle units are carefully extracted from the back of the head by one of two techniques- Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) or Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT). We perform FUE as it is a more advanced and better technique, although more a more skilled and tedious process for the operating surgeon.
Recipient area: The follicles that are extracted are then transplanted onto the recipient site meticulously. The angle at which each hair comes out of the scalp is positioned according to the other hair in that area. The most natural looking hairline is thus created.
A dressing is then applied over both the donor and recipient areas
After the procedure:
You may experience minimal pain for the first one or two days after the procedure
Small crusts may be visible at the follicular openings for about a week, after which they fall off
You may gently wash your hair after 2-3 days
You will be given certain medications after the procedure. You may need to use topical minoxidil on a long term basis.
You can expect the implanted follicles to start to grow by 3 months, and full grown hair at 8-12 months
You can resume work by about the second or third day of the transplant, and you can even start exercising after a week of the transplant.
The results of a hair transplant are permanent, and last you a lifetime
Would people be able to tell that I have had a hair transplant?
When done well, no one would be able to tell by looking at you that your hair is transplanted hair. This largely depends upon the expertise of the doctor performing the surgery, and you may say it is up to the surgeon’s artistic skill to give you the most natural looking transplant.
The hairline is calculated according to your facial proportions, and it varies between men and women. The angulation of the hair exiting the scalp also varies from area to area of the scalp, and must be taken into account while positioning the grafts.
So in summary, choose your doctor well. Look at their degrees! No qualified doctor will ever be offended if you ask them their qualifications.
Who should you go to?
-MD or DNB (degrees) or DVD or DDVL (diploma) in Dermatology
-MCh Plastic surgery
-MS General Surgery
-MS (degree) or DORL (diploma) in ENT
No other degrees are qualified to perform hair transplantation in India according to the Association of Hair Restoration Surgeons, India.
Another question to ask your doctor, is whether they themselves will be present during the surgery. In many clinics, the procedure is done by technicians and staff, and the doctor is not even present. So be sure that your doctor is present and not just a name.
Can I get a beard transplant or an eyebrow transplant?
Yes, you can. Facial hair transplants are commonly done, for fuller beards or thicker eyebrows. For a beard transplant you can use hair from the back of your head. For eyebrow transplants, finer donor hair is required in women. For men who desire thick eyebrows, scalp hair works just fine. The results and the procedure are very similar to a scalp hair transplant.
I don’t live in India. Can I fly in and out for just a hair transplant?
Absolutely. You can fly the day after the procedure. We have packages for people travelling for the transplant, where we provide accommodation and transfers during your stay.
Keep one or two days allocated for the procedure (if the number of grafts is very high, we may split your procedure over two days to cover the entire balding scalp). You are free to travel the very next day of the transplant.